Mixtures of cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone and cyclohexyl hydroperoxide are the reaction product of the air oxidation of cyclohexane. Cyclohexyl hydroperoxide can be hydrogenated to produce cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol; see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,592 to Besmar et al., or cyclohexyl hydroperoxide can be decomposed by neutralizing the acids contained in the mixture with an alkali metal hydroxide, and then reacting it with excess free metal hydroxide and metal salts that cause it to decompose to form cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, but the reaction does not produce these products in quantitative yield and other waste products are also produced: see U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,592, column 1, lines 43-50, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,238,415 to Bryan. Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone can be further oxidized, for example, with nitric acid, to form adipic acid. Adipic acid is one of the principal ingredients used in the production of nylon.
The use of static mixers in the treatment of air oxidation products of cyclohexane is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,592 to Besmar et al.
An object of the present invention is to provide a high rate process for decomposing cyclohexyl hydroperoxide to form cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone and only very small amounts of waste products.